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[CFP Deadline Extension] BEACON 2026 Workshop @ ICMI – Grounding Abstract Concepts in Multimodal Interaction (Deadline: July 17, 2026)

by rahul.simha.is＠gmail.com

[Apologies for multiple posts; please distribute to interested colleagues and relevant mailing lists.] Dear all, We are pleased to announce that the submission deadline for the BEACON 2026 Workshop — Beyond the Concrete: Grounding Abstract Concepts in Multimodal Interaction, co-located with ACM ICMI 2026, has been extended to July 17, 2026. BEACON 2026 brings together researchers working on multimodal representation learning, embodied and developmental models, robotics, cognitive science, and hybrid cognitive architectures. The workshop aims to consolidate computational approaches, datasets, and evaluation methodologies for abstract concept grounding while identifying shared assumptions and open research challenges. A keynote talk will be given by Professor Gabriella Vigliocco, Professor of the Psychology of Language at University College London. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Grounding abstract concepts in multimodal interaction Hierarchical and developmental models of abstraction Cross-modal abstraction and alignment Embodied and interactive concept learning Multimodal action and goal representations Affective and contextual abstraction Embodied and interactive learning of abstract language Hybrid cognitive architectures for abstract grounding Evaluation methodologies for abstract concept grounding Multimodal datasets and benchmarks for abstract concepts Applications of abstract grounding in HCI and HRI Submission Formats Short papers: 4 pages Full papers: 8 pages All accepted and presented papers will be included in the proceedings of the ACM ICMI 2026 workshops. Submission Instructions Submit through the ICMI 2026 PCS portal: https://new.precisionconference.com/icmi26/ After signing in, select: SIGCHI → ICMI 2026 → ICMI 2026 Workshop: Beyond a Concrete: Grounding Abstract Concepts in Multimodal Interaction Then click Go. Updated Important Dates Submission deadline: July 17, 2026 Notification of acceptance: July 31, 2026 Camera-ready submission: August 7, 2026 Workshop: October 9, 2026 Workshop website: https://beacon2026.github.io/ We welcome contributions from the multimodal interaction, artificial intelligence, robotics, human–computer interaction, human–robot interaction, and cognitive science communities. For questions, please contact Rahul Singh Maharjan at rahul.simha.is(a)gmail.com Best regards, Rahul Singh Maharjan on behalf of the BEACON 2026 Organizers

June 29, 2026

2nd Call for Participation: International Artificial Intelligence Summer School – IAISS 2026, Sept 20-24, Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany * Registration: by July 23 *

by ICAS Organizing Committee

* Apologies for multiple copies. Please forward to anybody who might be interested, thanks! * IAISS2026, A Residential Summer School in Frontier AI IAISS 2026 is a full-immersion 5-day Summer School in Tuscany on cutting-edge advances in AI and Generative AI with lectures delivered by world-renowned experts. 📍 Riva del Sole Resort & SPA @ Tuscany, Italy, 🗓 Sept 20-24, 2026 🔗 https://2026.iaiss.cc iaiss(a)icas.cc 🎤 LECTURERS: Each Lecturer will hold up to four lectures on one or more research topics. Stefano V. Albrecht, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Giuseppe De Giacomo, University of Oxford, UK Christoph Feichtenhofer, Meta Superintelligence Labs, USA Sven Giesselbach, T-Systems International, Germany Jamie Hayes, Google DeepMind, UK Sumi Helal, University of Bologna, Italy Albert Q. Jiang, Mistral AI, Paris, France & University of Cambridge, UK Marine Le Morvan, INRIA Saclay, France Bruno Lepri, FBK, Italy Sebastian Lins Risi, Sakana AI, Japan & IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark George Paliouras, National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens, Greece Panos Pardalos, University of Florida, USA More Lecturers TBA 🔗 https://2026.iaiss.cc/lecturers/ 🔗 https://2026.iaiss.cc/lectures/ 🚨 REGISTRATION: by July 23 (AoE) https://2026.iaiss.cc/registration/ Applicant *may* submit (during the Registration Process) a research abstract (max 2 pages; any format) for presentation. School directors and the scientific committee will review the abstracts and will recommend for poster and/or short talk. Abstract can be submitted by July 23 during the registration process. PAST EDITIONS: https://2026.iaiss.cc/previous-editions/ IAISS Norbert Wiener Best Presentation Award in Artificial Intelligence: https://2026.iaiss.cc/best-presentation-award/ VENUE: https://2026.iaiss.cc/venue/ Riva del Sole Resort & SPA Località Riva del Sole‚ Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto) CAP 58043‚ Tuscany‚ Italy p: +39-0564-928111 e: booking.events(a)rivadelsole.it w: https://www.rivadelsole.it/en/ ✅ CERTIFICATE & 8 ECTS: The International Artificial Intelligence Summer School – IAISS 2026 is a full-immersion five-day Summer School at the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA (Castiglione della Pescaia – Grosseto – Tuscany, Italy) on cutting-edge advances in AI and Generative AI with lectures delivered by world-renowned experts. The Summer School provides a stimulating environment for PhD students, Post-Docs, junior academics (only up to assistant professors), early career researchers, and industry leaders (and highly motivated, promising and brilliant Master students / BSc students). Participants will also have the chance to present their results with talks, and to interact with their colleagues, in a convivial, professional and productive environment. PhD students, PostDocs, Industry Practitioners and Junior Academics (only up to assistant professors) will be typical profiles of the IAISS attendants. The Summer School will involve a total of 36–40 hours of lectures, according to the academic system the final achievement will be equivalent to 8 ECTS points for the PhD Students (and some strongly motivated Master Student – BSc Student) attending the Summer School. Language: English. To participate in the IAISS 2026, all attendants must (1/2) register for the school (by July 23, 2026) and (2/2) book accommodation at the school venue, “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA” (by July 23, 2026); all attendants must stay at the “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA”. Once accommodation has been booked at “Riva del Sole Resort & SPA“, the participant must send this information (including the Booking Number) to the IAISS organizing committee (iaiss(a)icas.cc) IAISS is a residential school, so all lecturers and participants must reside in the same Hotel (Riva del Sole Resort & SPA). No exceptions are made. For privacy reasons, the Hotel cannot match people. If you have someone to share the apartment with, please send to the Hotel ( booking.events(a)rivadelsole.it ) the name, surname and email address. Otherwise the solution is to book an apartment in single use. IAISS is organized as a non-profit scientific event. Please note that only IAISS registered participants can book a room (in hotel or apartment) at the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA with the accommodation form attached in the registration email and with the IAISS Discounted Rates. The Booking Office of the Riva del Sole Resort & SPA will verify the names of the participants and the corresponding registration number to confirm the booking. Anyone interested in participating in IAISS 2026 should register as soon as possible: 👉 https://2026.iaiss.cc/registration/ See you in Riva del Sole in September! IAISS 2026 Organizing Committees. https://2026.iaiss.cc iaiss(a)icas.cc https://www.linkedin.com/groups/19146028/ Obviously, this is only a Call for Participation, to have complete and updated information we recommend you access the relevant website: https://2026.iaiss.cc the News Section: https://2026.iaiss.cc/category/news/ and the FAQ: https://2026.iaiss.cc/faq/ * Apologies for multiple copies. Please forward to anybody who might be interested, thanks! *

June 26, 2026

Doctoral Summer School on Robotics and Intelligent Machines

by Calogero Maria Oddo

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟰𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 (𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲) Join us in the seaside of Tuscany, Italy, for a week of training, innovation, hands-on experimentation, and international networking. From August 30 to September 6, 2026, DRIMS will bring together PhD students, researchers, and professionals from academia and industry for an immersive experience dedicated to the latest advances in robotics and intelligent machines. The programme combines lectures, hands-on activities, multidisciplinary teamwork, project-based learning, and networking opportunities with leading researchers and peers from around the world. Participants will have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge in areas including: • 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 • 𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 • 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 • 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻–𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 • 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 Several full and partial registration fee waivers are available thanks to the generous support of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE RAS), the Italian Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Machines (I-RIM), the BRIEFS research infrastructure, and several sponsoring companies (https://www.phdrims.com/sponsors.php<https://www.phdrims.com/sponsors.php?s=7>). 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆: • https://www.phdrims.com/ • https://www.santannapisa.it/en/alta-formazione/4th-Doctoral-Summer-School-o… We look forward to welcoming the next generation of researchers and innovators in robotics and intelligent machines, The DRIMS Steering and Scientific Committee https://www.phdrims.com/comitato_organizzatore.php<https://www.phdrims.com/comitato_organizzatore.php?s=3> -- Calogero M. Oddo, PhD (‪Scholar‬<https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=it&user=y1rffgkAAAAJ&view_op=list_w…>, Scopus<https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=16176089500>) Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy https://www.santannapisa.it/en/calogero-maria-oddo http://www.santannapisa.it/en/neuro-robotic-touch-laboratory Vice-Director, Centro Interdisciplinare Linceo Giovani https://www.lincei.it/en/oddo-calogero-maria email: calogero.oddo(a)santannapisa.it<mailto:calogero.oddo@santannapisa.it> While it suits me to email now, I do not expect a reply outside of your own working hours.

June 25, 2026

Deadline approaching: Call for Abstracts for the Bernstein Conference 2026

by Bernstein Conference

+++ The Bernstein Network Computational Neuroscience invites proposals for Poster Sessions at the Bernstein Conference 2026 in Frankfurt am Main. +++ ____ *Bernstein Conference * Each year, the Bernstein Network invites the international computational neuroscience community to the annual Bernstein Conference for intensive scientific exchange. It has established itself as one of the most renowned conferences worldwide in this field, attracting students, postdocs, and PIs from around the world to meet and discuss new scientific discoveries.** https://www.bernstein-conference.de/ <https://www.bernstein-conference.de/> ____ *IMPORTANT DATES * Bernstein Conference: *September 28 – October 1, 2026 * Deadlines: *Poster Session* abstract submission: *July 1, 2026 at 15:00 CEST Travel Grant *application: *July 1, 2026 at 17:00 CEST * Notification of acceptance: *July 2026 **____ ABSTRACTS* We invite the computational neuroscience community to submit their abstracts for Poster Sessions. All accepted abstracts will be published online and will be citable via Digital Object Identifiers (DOI). Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/ <https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/abstract-submission/> ____ *TRAVEL GRANTS* To support the participation of young researchers at the Bernstein Conference, the Bernstein Network offers up to 10 Travel Grants, each endowed with 500 €. Further information can be found here: https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/early-career-scientists/t… <https://bernstein-network.de/bernstein-conference/early-career-scientists/t…> ____ *INVITED SPEAKERS* Roshan Cools (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, The Netherlands) Benjamin Grewe (Institute of Neuroinformatics of the ETH and UZH, Switzerland) Andreas Herz (LMU Munich, Germany) Ewelina Knapska (Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland) John Krakauer (Champalimaud Foundation, Portugal) Jeehyun Kwag (Seoul National University, Korea) Anna Levina (University of Tübingen, Germany) Richard Naud (University of Ottawa, Canada) Bence Ölveczky (Harvard University, USA) Sandro Romani (Janelia Research Campus, USA) ____ *CONFERENCE COMMITTEE* Stefan Rotter (Conference Chair) Matthias Kaschube (Conference Host) Tim Vogels (Program Chair) Panayiota Poirazi (Program Vice Chair) Katharina Wilmes (Workshop Chair) Juan Álvaro Gallego(Workshop Vice Chair) & Nicolas Brunel, Alex Cayco-Gajic, Monika Jadi, Jennifer Li, Wiktor Młynarski, Richard Naud, Joseph Raimondo, Tatyana Sharpee, Taro Toyoizumi, Eleni Vassilaki ____ For any further questions, please contact: bernstein.conference(a)fz-juelich.de <mailto:bernstein.conference@fz-juelich.de>

June 24, 2026

[Deadline extended] Call for participation - Summer School on Computational Decision Sciences, London, Sept 7-11

by Subramoney, Anand

Dear all, It’s our pleasure to announce the Graduate Summer School on Computational Decision Sciences (GSS-CDS<https://center-decision-sciences.com/cds-graduate-school-2026/>)––the second edition of the summer school at the Centre for Decision Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London. The registration deadline has been extended. What GSS-CDS will bring together an interdisciplinary audience tackling decision making in different scientific fields (see Program<https://center-decision-sciences.com/program-2026/>). The focus is on mathematical and computational modelling, integrating concepts and methods from mathematical psychology, computational psychiatry, computational neuroscience, computational social sciences, machine learning, and cultural evolution. Attendees will benefit from talks from leading researchers and practical hands-on sessions. Attendees will also have the opportunity to receive career advice during social networking events and reflect critically about research practices in EDI sessions. Where and When GSS-CDS will take place at Stewart House, within Senate House<https://center-decision-sciences.com/directions/>, in Central London, on September 7th-11th (see Schedule<https://center-decision-sciences.com/schedule-2026/>). Target audience GSS-CDS is targeted towards attendees from diverse fields (e.g., psychology, neuroscience, social sciences, computer science, machine learning etc.) and career stages (masters, PhD, postdoc, and junior PI). Prerequisite A basic background knowledge in elementary statistics (e.g., probability theory) and programming in Python/R is highly recommended to master the technical skills, but no prior experience with computational modeling is required. Registration Course fee is £480 (includes the registration fee, lunch, tea/coffee breaks, reception events and VAT). To register, please visit this page<https://center-decision-sciences.com/registration-2/>. Places are limited and registrations will close on Monday, July 20th, at 5pm UK time (extended). Please feel free to share this information with anyone you think might be interested in participating. Looking forward to seeing you all in September. Best wishes, Gabriele, Nura, Anand This email, its contents and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. In certain circumstances, it may also be subject to legal privilege. Any unauthorised use, disclosure, or copying is not permitted. If you have received this email in error, please notify us and immediately and permanently delete it. Any views or opinions expressed in personal emails are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Royal Holloway, University of London. It is your responsibility to ensure that this email and any attachments are virus free.

June 23, 2026

Last Call: Apply to the Master in Data Management and Curation in Trieste, Italy (Deadline: 30 June 2026)

by Eugenio Piasini

Dear all, We would like to remind you that applications for the 2026–2027 edition of the Master in Data Management and Curation (MDMC), jointly organized by AREA Science Park<https://www.areasciencepark.it/en/> and SISSA<https://www.sissa.it/> in Trieste, Italy, are open until 30 June 2026, 1PM CEST. MDMC is an advanced postgraduate program designed to train the next generation of professionals in Research Data Management, FAIR data, Open Science, data stewardship, semantic technologies, and AI-enabled data infrastructures. The program combines lectures from international experts with a six-month internship carried out within leading research institutions and organizations like OGS<https://www.ogs.it/en>, FBK<https://energy.fbk.eu/>, FIF<https://www.fegato.it/eng/>, CNR-IOM<https://www.iom.cnr.it/> and several companies. Multiple forms of financial support are available for outstanding candidates: • 5 institutional fellowships offered by OGS<https://www.ogs.it/en>, SISSA<https://www.sissa.it/>, and AREA Science Park,<https://www.areasciencepark.it/en/> covering the participation fee and, in some cases, including an additional financial grant. • 8 additional tuition fee waivers for the highest-ranked candidates admitted to the program. • 6 excellence grants of €3,000. • Additional financial support opportunities for non-resident students. The total amount of available support makes MDMC accessible to a large number of talented candidates interested in pursuing a career in data management, data stewardship, Open Science, and research infrastructures. Further details on the program, admission requirements, and available fellowships can be found at: https://www.areasciencepark.it/call/mdmc/

June 22, 2026

Doctoral and postdoctoral studies in the neuroscience of dynamic action planning and motor control, University of Montreal

by Paul Cisek

Doctoral and postdoctoral studies in the neuroscience of dynamic action planning and motor control Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal Applications are invited for doctoral and postdoctoral studies in systems neuroscience in the laboratories of Andrea Green and Paul Cisek. Successful applicants will join a multidisciplinary research group studying how the primate brain controls real-time, natural behavior in dynamic environments. Different projects address how we specify and plan potential actions such as reaching under changing conditions as we move through our environment, decide between actions even during ongoing behavior, control and learn to execute movements in different behavioral contexts (e.g., body stationary vs. in motion) and integrate multisensory cues to estimate and keep track of our motion through space. Research in our group involves single- and multi-electrode neural recording experiments in non-human primates, human behavioral studies using techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and galvanic vestibular stimulation, and computational modeling of the nervous system. New collaborative projects will combine use of sophisticated spatial motion systems and virtual reality environments to study naturalistic behavior in both humans and non-human primates and develop computational models of real-time action selection, planning and control. For more information, see: https://neurosciences.umontreal.ca/recherche/les-chercheurs/andrea-green/ and https://cisek.org/pavel/ Multiple positions are available. All students with a strong background in biological sciences, engineering, mathematics, computer science, physics or psychology and an interest in system-level study of the brain are encouraged to apply. Prior experience in neurophysiology, behavioral neuroscience and/or computational modeling of neural systems is highly desirable. Depending on the applicant's qualifications and interests, they will help to design and conduct behavioral and neurophysiological experiments, analyze data, develop theoretical models of neural systems, prepare manuscripts for publication, and participate in international conferences. Interested candidates are asked to send a curriculum vita, copies of academic transcripts, a statement of research interests and the names and contact information for two references, to Andrea Green (andrea.green(a)umontreal.ca<mailto:andrea.green@umontreal.ca>) and Paul Cisek (paul.cisek(a)umontreal.ca<mailto:paul.cisek@umontreal.ca>). Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled, but preference will be given to applications received before July 31st, 2026. Paul Cisek, PhD Département de neurosciences Université de Montréal Physical: 2960 chemin de la tour, local 4117 Montréal, QC H3T 1J4 CANADA Mailing: CP 6128 Succursale centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 CANADA e-mail: paul.cisek(a)umontreal.ca<mailto:paul.cisek@umontreal.ca> Web: www.cisek.org/pavel<http://www.cisek.org/pavel>

June 22, 2026

Andrew Barto speaking in Developing Minds Lecture Series on June 25

by Jochen Triesch

Dear colleagues, On June 25, the Developing Minds global online lecture series is proud to host Andrew Barto, Prof. Emeritus of Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, speaking on „Rediscovering Reinforcement Learning“. His talk will take place at: 10:00 am EDT (Eastern Daylight Time, USA) 14:00 UTC (Universal Coordinated Time) 16:00 CEST (Central European Summer Time) 23:00 JST (Japan Standard Time). The talk will be hosted via zoom: https://uni-frankfurt.zoom-x.de/j/62410045708?pwd=EmEDiJtB0NZ0XPbSBngt6sbx2… Meeting-ID: 624 1004 5708 Kenncode: 883974 Abstract: The idea of reinforcement learning (RL) as a key principle of animal learning has been around at least since Edward Thorndike proposed the “Law of Effect” in 1898. Machine implementation of this principle began with electro-mechanical machines in the 1930s, and the earliest idea for computer implementation was probably Turing’s 1948 proposal of a computer implementation of a “pleasure-pain system”. In this talk I review what has followed Turing’s unimplemented proposal, starting with the first computer experiments in 1954, up to what we now know as modern computational RL. Short Bio: Andrew Barto is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, having retired in 2012. He served as Chair of the UMass Department of Computer Science from 2007 to 2011. He received a B.S. with distinction in mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1970, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1975, also from the University of Michigan. He joined the Computer Science Department of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1977. Before retiring he co-directed the Autonomous Learning Laboratory at UMass Amherst, which produced many notable machine learning researchers. Professor Barto is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Fellow and Life Member of the IEEE. He received the 2004 IEEE Neural Network Society Pioneer Award for contributions to the field of reinforcement learning, the IJCAI-17 Award for Research Excellence for groundbreaking and impactful research in both the theory and application of reinforcement learning, and a University of Massachusetts Neurosciences Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Most recently, he and his former doctoral student, Richard Sutton, were co-recipients of the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery’s A.M. Turing Award for developing the conceptual and algorithmic foundations of reinforcement learning, and he and Sutton received the 2026 IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award for contributions to reinforcement learning and artificial intelligence. He has published over one hundred papers or chapters in journals, books, and conference and workshop proceedings. He is co-author with Sutton of "Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction," MIT Press, 1998. A much expanded second edition was published in 2018. The talk will be recorded and made available for later viewing. For more information on the talk series and recordings of previous events, please visit: https://sites.google.com/view/developing-minds-series/home Best regards, Jochen Triesch -- Prof. Dr. Jochen Triesch Johanna Quandt Chair for Theoretical Life Sciences Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and Goethe University Frankfurt Recent publications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64234-z https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/11204381?casa_token=RBlsm2RTa…

June 22, 2026

Funded postdoctoral position in non-human primate electrophysiology in the Michaels Lab

by Jonathan Michaels

Hi all, The Neural Control & Computation Lab at York University in Toronto, Canada, is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow. Under the direction of Jonathan Michaels, Ph.D., the fellow will investigate the neural basis of learning, flexible neural computation, and skilled movement control using large-scale electrophysiology from single-neuron populations in non-human primates, including high-density Neuropixels recordings and our recently developed capability for wireless, chronic Neuropixels recordings during naturalistic behavior. The fellow will be encouraged to develop an independent line of research within these themes. The fellow will join an exceptional and fast-growing neuroscience community. The lab is housed in York’s brand new, state-of-the-art Neuroscience Facility, which includes lab and office space for multiple neuroscience research labs and access to shared infrastructure such as MRI and CT. York is home to a collaborative community spanning the Centre for Integrative and Applied Neuroscience (CIAN), the Centre for Vision Research (CVR), and the Connected Minds (Neural and Machine Systems for a Healthy, Just Society) initiative. Toronto – Canada’s largest and most diverse city – offers a dense concentration of neuroscience research and an incredible culture and environment. This is a two-year funded position, with the potential for extension, offering a competitive salary (starting at $65k/year), benefits, and a negotiable start date (earliest September 2026). Visa and moving support are provided for international applicants. Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in Neuroscience or a closely related discipline. Favorable consideration will be given to candidates with expertise or substantial interest in one or more of the following: non-human primate electrophysiology, large-scale neural data analysis, computational modeling of neural circuits or motor control, and a strong record of research productivity. To apply, please email the following to Dr. Michaels: a cover letter describing your research experience and interests and how they align with the lab, a CV, one to two representative publications or preprints, and the names and contact information of two references. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. https://www.ncclab.ca/join-the-lab (link to job ad and more info) Best, Jonathan __________________________________ Jonathan A. Michaels, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Neural Control & Computation Lab School of Kinesiology & Health Science York University

June 21, 2026

World wide VVTNS series (6th season): June 24 2026 | From Cajal’s Spines to Digital Neurons: Connectomics View on Dendritic Computations | Idan Segev, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

by David Hansel

[image: VVTNS.png] https://www.wwtns.online <https://streaklinks.com/A9c7PbbpKY7PxB6PaAJWGD3-/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wwtns.on…> - on twitter: wwtns@TheoreticalWide You are cordially invited to the VVTNS Sixth Season Closing Lecture Idan Segev The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences The Hebrew University of Jerusalem on the topic of From Cajal’s Spines to Digital Neurons: Connectomics View on Dendritic Computations The lecture will be held on Zoom on June 24, 2026 at *11:00 am ET * > To receive the link: https://www.wwtns.online/register-page > > *Abstract: *Dendritic spines are among the smallest structures in the brain, yet they hold some of the deepest clues to how neurons compute and store memories. In this lecture, I will revisit the classical question of spine biophysics in the new age of connectomics, where nanometer-resolution electron microscopy allows us to reconstruct whole neurons with thousands of synapses and spines. I will show how spine density, spine-neck resistance, and the irregular geometry of individual spines can shape local synaptic signals, generate fast voltage dynamics, influence excitatory/inhibitory gating, and affect communication between neighboring spines. I will then discuss how automated reconstruction pipelines and biophysical modeling now make it possible to build digital neurons at spine and synapse resolution, and how AI-based approaches, such as our new AI-based TwinProp algorithm, allow us to ask - and get answer - to a fundamental question: what can a neuron compute? I will end by claiming that we now enter a new age of connectomics that provides an essential constraint on understanding how synapses, neurons, and circuits perform their computational functions. *About VVTNS : Launched as the World Wide Theoretical Neuroscience Seminar (WWTNS) in November 2020 and renamed in homage to Carl van Vreeswijk in Memoriam (April 20, 2022), Speakers have the occasion to talk about theoretical aspects of their work which cannot be discussed in a setting where the majority of the audience consists of experimentalists. The seminars, **held on Wednesdays at 11 am ET,** are 45-50 min long followed by a discussion. The talks are recorded with authorization of the speaker and are available to everybody on our YouTube channel.* ᐧ ᐧ

June 21, 2026